


sakanoshita market | keishin ukai x male reader

by tylertae



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Cigarettes, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26307643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tylertae/pseuds/tylertae
Summary: "tears can be teachers if we allow them to be."in which the reader is a new assistant teacher at Karasuno High and Ukai takes a liking to the man who stops by his store at the end of the hill.started 9/4/2020
Relationships: Ukai Keishin/Original Male Character(s), Ukai Keishin/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	1. 一

**Author's Note:**

> Using the InteractiveFics extension on PC devices will create a much more immersive experience for the reader. Replace [Y/N] with your name in the extension and your chosen name will show up.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this continuing work!

The constant pattering and splashing of rain blanketed the concrete streets and small buildings near and around Karasuno High, dark grey clouds consuming the evening sky. The slight humming of worn-out street lights contributed to the eerie ambience, along with the pitter-patter of rainfall.

Although most people would evade the rain and retreat indoors during times like this, he embraced it. The feeling of frigid drops of water and a howling, piercing breeze shook his whole body down to the core, made him feel alive and contempt. People constantly told them that going out in the rain would cause a defying list of illnesses and side-effects, but that didn't matter. The rain was his comfort, his way out, his alone time.

_The rain was an escape._

To the average person looking by, they just saw a man walking alone in the rain, the slight illumination of their phone screen contrasting the nature of a dark night. Most people at this time would probably be walking home from their jobs, time out with friends, or from a general outing. The description was pretty normal for the average adult living in Japan.

However, appearances can be deceiving, especially from a far distance. Looking closer at the man gave a different picture than what people assume, and this fulfilled another purpose of the rain. _Rain was a perfect disguise._ Rain blocks off one thing that we as humans often want to hide from others in a public setting. Tears.

Clutching his hoodie tightly, the man begrudgingly trudged past the sidewalk onto the street, his tears mixing in with the heavy pour of the rain, both substances falling into the varying puddles filling the street. Gritting his teeth, he knew that this was a form of disguise, letting emotions leave his body without fear of judgement or pity from anyone.

The music blasting in his earbuds at full volume didn't help either.

 _That Spotify playlist that I created this week really fucking suits tonight,_ he thought, _there's so much more I can add to it, too._

While moping in his own self pity over Spotify playlists and walking aimlessly through the small town, he unknowingly crashes into somebody, the other man giving a quick "shit" and a glare. He drops a dimly lit cigarette, color fading when it falls into the damp surface covered in water.

"You gonna pay me for that cigarette I just dropped because you weren't paying attention?" the deep voice groans, the first guy seeing him pull out his pack of cigarettes and grabbing yet another cancer stick and lighting it.

The former looks up to see blonde haired man, eyebrows furrowed in, frowning into his eyes, almost piercing them with his brown eyes. He blushes out of fear and embarrassment, taking out his earbuds and slightly bowing to apologize.

"I'm so sorry about tha-"

"Holy crap dude. You look like shit," bluntly states Blondie, earning a shocked face from the other. "what's up with you? Your dog pass away or something?" Needless to say, Blondie wasn't exactly the most respectful when it comes to talking to others, especially when they're bawling their eyes out.

"First of all, it's not dude. I have a name you know..." the crybaby lectures, sniffling his nose and wiping his eyes, to which Blondie slightly lowers the glare he has, curiosity overriding his eyes. "It's [Y/N]. Get to know it because I just moved into this desolate town, unfortunately." his eyes constantly wandering from distant streetlights to Blondie's brown eyes, who seem to never leave his.

"Well, [Y/N], you look like shit." Blondie bluntly states, puffing on a cigarette, dragging out and letting out a huff, giving a slight chuckle to his own statement, (Who even laughs at their own joke?) to which [Y/N] gives a glare, hands on his hips.

"I-I may be younger than you, but you should really show me at least some sort of empathy, Blondie." [Y/N] huffs, fiddling with the sleeves on his hoodie, careful not to overstep the boundaries, seeing that he did bump into him and waste the dude's cigarette.

The older man hummed, almost if he was in agreement with what they stated. He pulled out his pack of cigarettes again, pulling one out and offering it to [Y/N], who reluctantly shook his head. After some silence from the both of them, the smoker spoke up.

"Blondie, huh?" the man smirked, putting the cigarette back in the pack. "Guess that's my new name from now on." Expecting a smile or chuckle back, he was surprised when [Y/N] didn't return the favor. Crossing his arms and looking off into the distance, he huffed and stared off into the town.

"So... you gonna tell me what's wrong with you? I don't exactly like teary-eyed people loitering around my shop." He stated, his grumpy aura radiating into and through [Y/N], who was just shyly looking around.

"I'm fin-" [Y/N] stopped, whipping his head to the blonde-haired man. "Wait, this is your shop?" he exclaimed, confused yet intrigued at the same time.

"Waa, what do you mean is this my shop? Of course it is, idiot!"

"Well how would I know that?! Most shop owners are, y'know, running their operations?" You raise your voice, getting closer to Blondie, fists bundled up. "Like I said, I'm new to this area, Blondie!"

He sighs, flicking his used cigarette off the curb of his business, then facing [Y/N] with hands on his hips and eyes closed. "Listen, I know I don't know you and all..." he drags on, opening his eyes and staring into the man next to him, hands pushing up his hair, "...but I'd hate for my first impression of you to be a sad one."

[Y/N] slightly widened his eyes, taken aback by the words that the older man said. He was honestly surprised, this random hot-headed man actually had the decency to at least attempt to give comfort to a stranger. To [Y/N], it was bittersweet, and he really appreciated it.

"...So basically what I'm saying is, maybe whenever you're free, come by to the shop and we can figure out how to solve whatever is wrong." he said, now looking away, staring at the ground. [Y/N] wasn't exactly sure how to approach his intended emotions, but what mattered was the message. "Also, I make some great nikuman... so maybe you'll like that-"

"I would love that, Blondie." [Y/N] interrupted, causing the shopkeeper to snap his head up, mouth slightly agape and smiling. He gave him a cheeky smile in return, fixing his hair and checked his phone to clear up the awkward yet sweet silence that arose from the conversation. He definitely felt better.

"The name's Ukai." the blonde man stated, clearing up the deafening sound of rain. "Keishin Ukai. It's good to meet you, [Y/N]."

[Y/N] could see that Ukai was gleaming. The grumpy and intimidating man was giving him a toothy grin, eyes shut from him showing off his smile. [Y/N] definitely felt his stomach twirl, happy that he knew that at least for tonight, he wasn't alone.

"It's good to meet you too, Blondie."


	2. 二

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note - Sorry for the slow start on chapter one! I really wanted to set the mood and tone for the first part, it'll start picking up now (hopefully? lol) and speeding up.

Simply put, [Y/N] couldn't sleep that night.

Aside from the shivering cold and the freezing rain that the night brought (not to mention he was completely soaked from the heavy rain), he couldn't get his overwhelming thoughts together. Moving to a desolate town in the Miyagi prefecture, completely void of any physical contact with his friends and family, dealing with his own inner demons... Simply put, it was tough. It would be tough for anyone going through the same thing.

Reevaluating the event that happened a few hours ago, [Y/N] chuckled while staring at the ceiling in his tiny apartment. Covered up in an assortment of blankets, he snuggled into the fabrics while replaying every moment he remembered. He was definitely glad that one of the first acquaintances he made was the grumpy blonde shop owner.

_Ukai was his name, right?_ [Y/N] thought, eyelids slightly closing in concentration. _He seems like a nice guy_.

That thought briefly was interrupted by the deafening sound of an alarm blaring from [Y/N]'s phone. After suffering a mild heart attack (which most of us have at some point), he quickly silenced it, sighing and rubbing his head. He had to wake up early in order to start his day at his new job assignment.

Yes, there was a reason that he moved out to this suburban town. He wasn't crazy. [Y/N] was assigned to be an assistant teacher at Karasuno High, mainly working with the school to organize and help the sports and athletics divisions. While athletics wasn't something that he was truly appreciative in, [Y/N] was just glad that he was offered this new opportunity right out of college.

"Eeh~, I need to actually get up..." moaned the sleep-deprived man, stretching his body before getting up from his bed, haphazardly dragging his body to the small kitchen installation across the room. Even though his apartment was small, [Y/N] was contempt with the arrangements he made, perfectly fitting one or two people.

Looking in to the small fridge that promptly fit into the small living space, [Y/N] groaned. He forgot that he didn't exactly _have_ any food, seeing he promptly just moved into his unit this week, surviving off the various convenience store junk food items around town. It wasn't exactly the healthiest food to eat, but it kept him over.

_Say,_ [Y/N] quickly thought, stomach growling in the process. _Ukai-san did say he has nikuman at his store... I might take that offer up after my orientation today._

_-_

Walking through the streets of the small town was calming for [Y/N], especially since the rush of students attending Karasuno High was yet to come until a few hours later. The crisp and cold air caused any exhale to to be visible, something that he liked. Just like the rain, the frost and ever-yet cold nature of the morning was a comfort. Walking a bit further, [Y/N] could recognize a place that was familiar from the night before.

Ukai's store. Or, atleast from his memory, the place where his tears stopped. Karasuno was on top of a small hill, which he recognized from pictures and images online. Perhaps it was due to the onslaught of heavy rain and the darkness the night before that he didn't notice his workplace. He paused for a second, not knowing if Blondie was up this early, opening his shop. Unfortunately, teachers in Japan start their days extra early, so most businesses usually aren't open until an hour or so after they reach their workplace.

Treading a bit closer to the store, [Y/N] could see the official name of Blondie's shop. **坂ノ下** **商店,** or also known as "Foot of the slope." _Quite a literal meaning..._ he thought, peering ever so cautiously to see if the lights were on, or more importantly if Ukai was awake. It wasn't for any reason, though. Seriously. Totally. 100%.

Okay, maybe [Y/N] did think the blonde-haired man was a little attractive, but it was more of an intimidation factor than an attraction. Awkwardly having Ukai see his snot-filled, teared-up face was quite embarrassing, and something that would stay in his head for a while. After seeing the shop was closed and the lights were still off, [Y/N] scurried past the small building and started to trek up the hill.

-

"You must be our newest faculty member, hmm?" spoke the haughty vice principal, running his chubby fingers through his hair, and to [Y/N]'s perception, was obviously a hairpiece. He'd keep that thought to himself, however.

"Yes sir, I'm so honored to help develop the athletic abilities of the students here at Karasuno!" [Y/N] exclaimed, giving the vice principal a slight bow, to which he could care less. The only thing he was thinking about was how to keep his nappy wig appealing.

The both of them were simply exchanging boring school information and formalities before hearing a knock on the office door that both faculty were located in. After a quick "come in" by the vice principal, the door opened. 

"Sorry for the intrusion, I was supposed to meet my new assistant teacher today..."

The soft voice spoke as they open the door, slowly stepping their way into the office, giving a slight bow to the others. [Y/N] immediately turns around, giving a bow and a small "Ohayou~" to the senior. He was of small stature, shorter than [Y/N], but taller than the vice principal. He had on glasses and had messy hair, and gave off a innocent and kind vibe to [Y/N]. 

"Takeda-san, this is [Y/N]. He will be your assistant from now on, and if needed, he can help you run operations with the Karasuno volleyball club. I expect you to show him all the ropes within our athletic program and all." the vice principal lists, handing [Y/N] the rest of his paperwork and materials.

Takeda chuckles, looking up at his assistant briefly. "I see, thank you for introducing him." [Y/N] gives a quick smile and briefly thanks the vice principal, then walking out to the hallway with Takeda, the two getting to know eachother briefly before reaching his classroom.

"You know, [Y/N], our volleyball club is showing a lot of promise this year, especially with two of the newest recruits." explains Takeda, unlocking his class door and walking in, pointing his assistant to his desk across from his. "They're actually in our first period of the day, I'd love to introduce you to them!"

[Y/N] sighs, looking up apologetically to his coworker. "Excuse me Takeda-san, but if I'm being completely honest..." he says, twirling his thumbs while setting up his working area. "I haven't the first clue about how volleyball works. I actually have never played the sport-"

Takeda gave a reassuring smile to him. "Not to worry, [Y/N]," he huffs, hands on his hips. "I don't know what is going on half of the time either!" To which, the assistant slaps his hands on his face, confused and wondering _how in the hell_ did his senior even get the position of coach.

"However, I have been eyeing on one person to help head coach the team. Not that he'll need it, however. The team has a great captain and the newest players seem to have enough experience to guide themselves." Takeda states, slightly blushing from the reaction of [Y/N]. He knows that while he doesn't have skills in volleyball, his persistence and perseverance serves well to help the team.

"Ahh, I'm glad, Takeda-san. I was worried-"

The sound of school bells filled the main building of the campus, causing the halls to be filled with footsteps of students scurrying to their first period classes. [Y/N] slightly turned red, knowing that groups of people were a bit intimidating at first. But, it wasn't just a worried feeling. He was excited to meet the students he'll be working with for the year, and of course with Takeda-san.

"Oh, I should mention... The two new players to the volleyball team are quite competitive... They tend to race wherever they can to one-up each other." Takeda chuckles, hand on the back of his head. To his surprise, [Y/N] could hear sounds of bickering, with insults thrown at two people stomping through the halls.

"I'm gonna beat you, Kageyama!"

"Hinata, boke! You just started sprinting out of nowhere!"

One after another, the commotion was growing louder and louder, with [Y/N] having a confused and intrigued look on his face. He left his seat to walk to the front door of Takeda's classroom, eyebrows raised to hear the steps getting louder and louder. Before even reaching the front door, he was shocked to see two students blast their way into the classroom, desperate for a chance to claim victory over one another.

To their dismay, both of them immediately collided with the poor assistant teacher, knocking all three of them to the ground.

Immediately getting up, Takeda rushes over to the crime scene. Gasping and saying many apologies, he bends down to see a knocked over [Y/N], Kageyama, and Hinata, all of them groaning in pain from the brute collision.

"[Y/N]-kun, are you alright?!" Takeda furrows, lifting him up to a sitting position. He looks at the other two, scrambled up and bickering with each other before turning to see the man they toppled over, life in their faces both gone from shock.

"AH! I'm so sorry sir! We didn't know there would be anyone in Takeda-sensei's room yet and we-"

"This was all his fault!" Kageyama interrupts, immediately pointing to Hinata, which earns him a gasp from the orange-haired student.

"Excuse me?!" exclaimed Hinata, yelling and putting his face next to Kageyama's. "I wasn't the one pushing and trying to one-up me! I was simply trying to make it to class early..."

While the arguing continued, [Y/N] gained some composure and reassured Takeda that he was just fine. Without the other two knowing, he got up and crossed his arms, slightly glaring at the two immature teens without interrupting them. Once both of them finished and turned around, they were shocked to see [Y/N] looming over them.

"I'll excuse this time, but if this ever happens again, you two will be cleaning this classroom spotless until the school year ends." he says, the two students fearfully bowing and apologizing to the man they don't even know yet. To the side, even Takeda is slightly fearful, slowly tip-toeing his way to his desk so he doesn't have to incur [Y/N]'s wrath.

"Now, with that out of the way," [Y/N] drags, giving the two players a chance to calm down and recollect themselves. "I'm [Y/N]. I'm your new assistant teacher starting from today, and I'm also an assistant coach for your club."

-

After spending most of the day with his new coworker and friend, [Y/N] yawned while slowly making his way down Karasuno High, most students already home from their long day at campus. To [Y/N], it was definitely a new experience. And, even with the mishap happening before first period classes, he was glad to meet two of the teens he'll be working with. He definitely knew that Hinata and Kageyama had the spirit and energy to create a lasting and impactful volleyball program.

The one thing that really excited [Y/N] however, was the end of the day. He was _starving._ The apparent lack of food from his apartment left him out of options, and as he was walking, the foot of the slope became bigger and bigger.

It wasn't because [Y/N] wanted to see Ukai or anything. Definitely wasn't that.

Kicking up his pace faster, [Y/N] started to fix his hair and pat down his outfit, semi formal from work. He was tired, but not tired enough to visit the store that he met Blondie at. Making strides down the hill, he pulled out his phone, placing earbuds into his ears and turned on music.

He felt contempt. Maybe it was just a good day after a bad one. But, it didn't matter. [Y/N] truly felt a pang of happiness hit his chest, and he was grateful for that. Although the rain was his comfort during sad times like yesterday, he didn't want to have to constantly feel like joining the rain was his only option.

Making the final steps to the store, [Y/N] fixed any alterations to his appearance before entering the store.

Immediately hit with radio music and fluorescent lights, he took more steps into the store, taking in scents from the various baked and cooked goods in the counter to his side. For [Y/N], it truly felt like a place where he could reside. To his surprise, he could hear a familiar grumbling and trudge of footsteps from the room ahead of him.

"Irasshaimase..." grumbled a familiar voice, walking into the main room, scratching his head before looking up. _It was Ukai._ Just milliseconds later, Ukai coughed into his hand, straightening himself out before returning his gaze onto the man he invited into his shop just the day before, a slight blush arising on his cheeks. "Ahh, i-it's you."

[Y/N] looked into his eyes, blush creeping up as well, a slight chuckle escaping his lips. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and gave Ukai a smile that was priceless.

"It's me."


	3. 三

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I simply couldn't wait to write Chapter 3! I hope this chapter suits you a bit more~

"So, Ukai-san, not to be too needy at first but..." [Y/N] drawls, hands on his stomach grumbling. "Can I take you up on that nikuman offer?" He finishes, his eyes gleaming with hope that Ukai would provide him with whatever amount of pork buns he desired. To which, Ukai 'tsk-tsks' and goes behind the counter taking a seat in his chair, crossing his legs.

"First one is free, just for you." Ukai states, lifting his head to signal you to where all the cooked food was. "Any after is 200¥, and make sure to leave enough for the sports kids." [Y/N] quickly sped over, stars in his eyes and grabbing the tongs to put a few pork buns in a bag. Let's just say Ukai was shocked to see the young man move that fast for something as simple as nikuman.

_Ahh, I'm so embarrassed to lose my composure in front of him..._ [Y/N] thought, but the hunger soon took over, him hastily making his way to the counter to buy his soon to be dinner. Who knew that having a mainly sedentary job could make someone so hungry?

"Okay, thats one, two, three..." Ukai counts, typing on the register while eyeing the bulging bag of food. Meanwhile, you quickly pull out your card and he instinctively takes it, preparing to swipe it through the register. "...Six. That's gonna be 1000¥ total. Is that fine-"

"YesyesyescanIjusthavemyporkbunsplease?" [Y/N] interrupts, mouth literally salivating and Ukai literally has to hold him back before attacking the bag, swiping the card into the machine and waiting for the funds to go through. Ukai's hoping it goes through quick before [Y/N] tries to consume his arm off.

Except, instead of the register doing the usual ding like it always does for card transactions, the machine roared out a giant 'BUZZZ', causing both of the men to whip their head around to the machine.

"Ukai-san, what does that mean?"

"No clue. Did your saliva get into the machine and ruin it?"

"I sure hope not."

Ukai peers around and checks the machine, looking over any issues before checking the main screen up top. As he looks, he waits for the scrolling message to finish displaying before looking back at you. His face was clearly a mixture of annoyed and relieved. He slowly puts your card down before leaning his arm on the counter and propping his head up.

"[Y/N], your card declined." he bluntly states, the starving boy across the counter not even responding or moving a muscle. "Umm, [Y/N]? ...Yahoo?" The boy was unresponsive, only his eye _slightly_ twitching with his smile. His fists balled up yet again.

"[Y/N]-chan?"

"...Can I just have the free one, Ukai-san?" he grumbled, clutching his card back into their pocket, grabbing the _ever-so savory_ pork bun and quickly stuffing it in his mouth. He looked down, slightly blushing from the embarrassment of his card declining him the access to probably the tastiest thing in all of Japan.

Ukai sighed, hiding back a slight smile while watching [Y/N] devour his homemade nikuman. Sure, the younger man could be quite a hassle (with this being his second day knowing him), but it sure did break up the monotonous days working at the shop. He was glad that this was turning into a _hopeful_ friendship. Most people just tend to be regulars at the shop, no time for small talk or conversations. Ukai wasn't sure if it was because of his rugged personality or looks, or if the demeaning job of being a cashier turned off people.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was lonely. Days were mainly spent reading magazines, stocking up on inventory for the store, kicking out any unruly kids from Karasuno... There wasn't much time for him to actually _live life._ Even with his family pestering him to find a girlfriend, Ukai did want to find someone to settle down with. Time isn't going to go backwards.

But, even with these thoughts trying to attack his conscious, Ukai was content. He enjoys the moments he has now.

-

Ukai ended up giving all six pork buns to [Y/N].

He couldn't help it. After the first one, he could see [Y/N] clearly satisfied and glad to experience Ukai's famous buns, but he couldn't just let him _starve_ , could he? Lectures of "don't tell anyone" and "this is a one-time thing" came out of his mouth, but his mind was glad that he made the younger man's day through food. And by the looks of it, [Y/N] was really pleased.

While basking in the good vibes that the front of the store was giving off (something that BOTH men enjoyed), a familiar chime of bells signaled that someone entered the store. Both adults turned their heads to see a pair of teens walk in, giving Ukai a regular greeting, but stopping once they spotted [Y/N].

"Wait, that's our new assistant coach!" exclaimed a high pitched voice, who could be recognized as Hinata. [Y/N] widened his eyes as he spotted the two teens who ran into him earlier today, and started to slightly choke on the nikuman he was devouring. Ukai turned around, looking at [Y/N] both shocked at him choking and the fact that he was just called "assistant coach". More-so on the coach statement.

"You're a coach?!" Ukai exclaimed, slightly raising his voice while passing [Y/N] a bottle of water so he doesn't die in his shop. Yet another thing he's given to the younger man for free, but he doesn't mind. [Y/N] graciously takes the bottle, gulping it down while three other people watched. He shook his head in agreement.

"First of all, good evening you two." [Y/N] manages to blurb out while catching his breath. He recieves a "good evening" from them, him looking back up to Ukai. "And yes, as of today, I'm one of the new official coaches for the Karasuno volleyball club." he says proudly, hands on hips and standing tall.

"Do you even know how to play volleyball?" Ukai peers, eyes squinting.

" _Of course I do_ , Ukai-san." [Y/N] counters confidently. But not for long, as his knowledge on volleyball wasn't _exactly_ the best, same with Takeda-san. "You... hit the ball over the net... and stuff... right? Hehe..." he finishes roughly, hands on his head, looking away from any peering and/or judging eyes.

"...Good luck with your new coach, kids."

"Now what's **that** supposed to mean?!"

While the two man-children were bickering at each other, the two Karasuno teens made their way over to get some of Ukai's famous food as well. Hinata looking at Kageyama after silently filling some bags with food for the other players to bring to them.

"Kageyama, should we tell [Y/N]-sensei that Ukai was a volleyball player back in high school?" Hinata questioned, with the taller male simply giving a shake indicating no.

"Sensei will eventually find out from Takeda-sensei, it's best to just let them two fight out whatever childish problems they have at the moment." Kageyama bluntly replied, filling up his bag and beckoning Hinata to follow him. "Plus, it's kind of fun to watch, no?" To which Hinata simply nodded.

After paying for their items and giving both Ukai and [Y/N] quick formal goodbyes, the two teens left to go bring food to the rest of Karasuno (and to go tell the rest of the team about [Y/N]'s new position). Thankfully, things toned down in the store and both [Y/N] and Ukai were back to just small talk.

"Ukai-san?"

"What's up, [Y/N]-chan?"

"...How can I repay you for all the stuff you've given me today?" [Y/N] asks, eyes meeting Ukai's to which he instinctively looks away once they lock on for too long. "O-Obviously I'll repay you in cash when I get paid, but if there's anything-"

"Only thing I want in return is for you to not ruin Karasuno's reputation when it comes to volleyball." huffs the blonde. He reaches for his pocket, pulling out a lighter and a singular cigarette, preparing to smoke.

"How about this, you come over to the shop tomorrow and we'll discuss _positions_."

[Y/N]'s eyes light up, mouth slightly agape, taking what Blondie said in a suggestive way. Ukai could tell.

" **H-hey** , you know what I meant, boke." he chokes, rolling his eyes and puffing on his cigarette. "Let's go to the bar after my shift is done and I can tell you all about the basics of volleyball. Take some notes as well."

[Y/N] nodded, giving a thumbs up to the owner, to which he smirked. "Got it, Ukai-san. I'll make sure to come here right after I'm done with everything. Thanks again for everything. I really do appreciate it." he finishes, giving a cheeky peace sign.

"I'll see you tomorrow, [Y/N]-chan~." Ukai drags on, giving a simple wave to the younger guy and keeping it up til he exits the sliding doors. Once gone, he sighs and walks over to the telephone nearby. Picking up the phone, he dials a number that he only hopes he remembers, seeing that he's constantly seen in within the past few months.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Takeda? It's Ukai. I know it already might be too late, but I was wondering if you still wanted me to help out with your club. Let's just say I had a change of heart."


	4. 四

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHH I LOVE THIS CHAPTER SO MUCH! HOPE YOU ENJOY IT <3

The next day was quite a blur to [Y/N], who was just excited to end work to spend time with his new friend. Work was basically the same as yesterday. Well, without the whole Kageyama and Hinata crashing into him. They made sure to not make a spectacle of things in order to not incur the assistant teacher's wrath. Both of them definitely learned their lesson.

Even with the few days that [Y/N] has been here, his mood has definitely shifted. To say he was hopeful for great friendships with both his mentors and students alike was an understatement. He just _knew_ that this would work out, his new life out in this suburban area would be one that could be satisfactory.

Walking down the slope leading to Karasuno High, [Y/N] smiled while consumed in his thoughts, the golden light of the sun covering the hill that he was traversing. Was this happiness, or just a stroke of luck these past few days? He's definitely hoping for the former. Looking up, he sees the ever-so familiar store he's visited, and a couple students conversing around the vending machines that littered the storefront. Walking ahead, [Y/N] gives a slight bow to the students, who return the greeting. Walking into the store once again, [Y/N] is greeted with the familiar welcoming chime and static-filled radio.

To his surprise, he sees two familiar faces, instead of one. Taking his earbuds out, he gives a small wave and grin to the adults that he's been getting to know during his brief time in the town. Both men turning towards him an giving a quick greeting.

"Ah, [Y/N]! We were just talking about you." beams Takeda, holding a notebook and pencil, clearly taking notes. "I was filling in Ukai-kun about your new job and all." [Y/N] closes the gap between them and stands next to Takeda, with Ukai on the other side of the counter giving you a lazy look, hand holding up his head.

"[Y/N]-chan..." he draws out, slightly whining. "You never told me that you worked at Karasuno."

[Y/N] mentally slaps himself, with yesterday's antics not leaving much time for adult conversation. He gives a quick "sorry" to the older man, who waves it off playfully, trying to tease slightly. Takeda just gives a slight chuckle before laying out his notebook for the others to see. Within the page are scribbles of different names of players, probably Karasuno's to [Y/N]'s assumption. Taking a closer look, he could see his name, Takeda's, and surprisingly Ukai's as well.

"Hey, why is Ukai-san's name on here? He's not a faculty member of Karasuno, is he?" [Y/N] questioned, his gaze fixated strongly on the paper.

"Well," Takeda stated, fingers pushing up his glasses, "Ukai-kun is going to help us run the volleyball club as well. He's going to be heading the whole program" [Y/N]'s cheeks slightly pinkened, eyes darting straight to the blonde, who waved it off, sweat forming on his head.

"You're telling me that this is the person you were trying to get to join?" the youngest exclaimed, eyes widening and looking up and down between the notebook and Ukai. Takeda gave a thumbs up, clearly excited that his plan to fully equip the volleyball club with coaches worked. Although the two faculty members lacked experience with the sport, Takeda knew that with Ukai, him being a former Karasuno player and all, things would work out and flow easily.

"I don't know why you're in such of a big shock, [Y/N], I _did_ tell you I was going to teach you the basics of volleyball." Ukai grunted, crossing his arms together, eyes closed.

"I know that, but I didn't know that came with you taking over as head coach..." [Y/N] counters, trying to take in all of the new information he's gathered. To think that over a few days, he went from nothing to suddenly having to help manage and organize a team with two completely new people.

One thing's for sure, he'd be spending a lot more time with Blondie.

"Well, I for one am really excited to have you on board, Ukai-kun." Takeda praises, giving the owner a big smile, one that could _literally_ combat the sun in terms of brightness. "Ahh, [Y/N], you must be excited to have another **senpai**!"

Ukai's eyes slammed open, and immediately started coughing, almost falling off the cheap chair he had behind the counter. All those years of smoking probably didn't help, and the tint on his cheeks was either from the lack of air or the statement made from Takeda. Not that Ukai would ever admit the latter was the cause. It _totally_ wasn't because of that.

"Ahh, Ukai-senpai! Are you alrigh-"

"I'm fine-" Ukai sputters out, coughing a final time before repositioning himself on the chair. "[Y/N], please **just** call me Ukai." he says, his forearm covering his obvious blush from the other two, who were oblivious to his current antics.

"Anyways, me and [Y/N] are heading out to go to the izakaya right now, did you want to join us, Takeda?" Ukai says, grabbing his keys to the shop and waiting for an answer back.

Takeda gives a slight shake of his head, slightly moving his shoulders to show the bulging bag that probably contained tons of work from students, needing to be graded. "I'm sorry, but I'm probably going to be stuck inside grading all night..." he sighs, but soon giving a small grin to the other two. "I'll talk to you two later, hope you both are ready for practice next week!"

"I'll definitely help you with any extra grading left over on Monday, Takeda-san." [Y/N] says, giving a small wave to his senior. Ukai grumbled a quick goodbye, quickly leaving his assistant coach by himself to go up to his living space, grabbing a few things.

[Y/N] could totally sneak a pork bun or two. But he wouldn't, he was already in debt and wouldn't want to be a culprit to any other mishaps. That gave him a slight chuckle.

"Ready, [Y/N]-chan?" signaled Ukai, causing the other boy to come back to his senses. He was out of his usual baggy clothes, wearing a simple shirt along with what he already had on.

_Woah, he's actually built pretty well_. [Y/N] quickly thought, not paying attention to the question brought up. _Wait, why the **hell** am I thinking about that at the moment?_

"U-Uhh, yeah! All ready to go." he responded, a smile creeping up his face, to which the blonde reciprocated slightly.

"Alrighty, let's head out."

"Of course, _senpai_ ~."

"...On second thought, I might just go by myself."

-

The sounds of assorted conversations, cheesy j-pop music, and the arrangement of clanking glasses and _'kanpai!'_ 's filled the small izakaya that Ukai and [Y/N] entered, the two of them keeping words brief during their trip there. Was it awkward? Maybe, but both unknowingly were glad to be in each other's presence. 

Ukai was especially happy, and also had a pang of nervousness. He never really allocated time to spend time outside the shop, and spending time with his new coworker and assistant definitely caused a bit of panic for him. He wanted to make a good impression onto his new assistant, and more importantly, _his new friend_.

Making their way to a table, the two politely thanked the hostess as they sat down on the bare tatami mats, sitting across each other and on each opposite side of the table placed in the middle. To [Y/N], this was a nerve-wracking experience as well. Both men kept quiet, staring at the menus given to each of them, the sounds of other parties slightly breaking the quiet nature of the room.

"Well, I don't know about you," Ukai courageously spoke, breaking up the awkward air in the room, "but I'm gonna have a few beers myself." to which the blonde chuckled, immediately hitting the button to call the server. [Y/N] looked up, witnessing the rugged blonde give out a small laugh, to which he returned the favor.

Ukai didn't notice the growing blush that emerged from the younger man's face. [Y/N] didn't know why he felt this way with his new friend, but at the same time didn't question it. Shakily adjusting himself, he quickly decided what he wanted to order as well.

"Y-yeah, me too. Do you like Sapporo, Ukai-san?" he asked, keeping his head low in order to not show his senpai his nervous face.

"I'm more of a _Kirin Ichiban_ drinker, but honestly..." Ukai snickered while looking at the nervous wreck across from him. "I wasn't really expecting the great [Y/N] to be a drinker of beer." he laughed wholeheartedly, causing [Y/N] to look up at him.

_What the hell am I feeling right now?_ [Y/N] questioned himself, in the meantime giving Ukai a genuine laugh. It's only been a few days since he moved in, and even fewer days that he's known the blonde guy sitting across from him. But, for some reason, he felt like he had a genuine connection to the coach. It definitely felt weird, but nice.

Before he could respond, the waiter came into the room, ready to take any orders. Ukai ordered _multiple_ beers for himself (to which [Y/N] was amazed). [Y/N] ordered a singular drink, knowing that his alcohol tolerance wasn't exactly the highest, at least compared to Ukai. Ukai seemed so mature and manly, something definitely that was admirable to the assistant coach. He only hoped that he could be something like him when he grew a bit older.

[Y/N]'s tolerance was definitely lower than Blondie's. After receiving their drinks, and the notable ' _kanpai_ ' between the two men, time flew by. The bickering and laughter between the two grew, each one of them enjoying getting to know each other a bit more. Ukai knew that the sole reason to bring [Y/N] to the izakaya was to discuss volleyball in a casual setting, but honestly, _he was having the time of his life_. It was addicting, a nice break from the monotonous daily tasks that he begrudgingly did.

The moments after led to the two ordering a bit more alcohol than expected. Not only just beer, but hard liquor as well. Ukai had a competitive nature to him. And, after a few bets and dares, the two were playing drinking games, trying to one-up each other and prove who was a bigger man. Ukai knew that he had a bigger tolerance to drinking, but he would admit one thing.

_He found [Y/N] to be extra cute when struggling to finish his alcohol._

However, when the younger man seemed to appear frustrated and upset that he was losing, Ukai decided to stop the competition. Looking over to [Y/N]'s flushed face and clumsy actions, Ukai started to crawl over to the side that the other man was sitting near.

"H-hey... It's okay, you did great, [Y/N]-chan~." Ukai hiccuped, approaching him on his side and bringing his fingers up to his chin, turning his head so that [Y/N] could fully see Ukai in his drunk form. [Y/N] was definitely shocked, not moving a muscle and quite flustered that he was _so close_ to his senior's face.

"Ukai..." [Y/N] spoke softly, getting the courage to stare right into the lazy-eyed blonde. "Are y-you feeling alright?" he asked, wondering if the alcohol was causing Ukai to act irrationally. Ukai gave him a deep chuckle, which almost sounded like a growl to the younger boy, causing his deep-red blush to darken even more.

"I'm doing just fine... maybe a little bit better that I'm closer to you." Ukai blushed, removing his fingers from the man's chin, turning to face him. He knew that he was blushing ferociously, but that didn't stop him from observing the small details that aligned on [Y/N]'s face. Time seemed to almost stop as he slowly got closer.

_Ukai wouldn't dare tell anyone, but he thought that [Y/N] looked absolutely breathtaking._

"This might be the alcohol talking, but..." [Y/N] started to say, him eyeing Ukai's lips. He was shaking ferociously, obviously afraid of taking this too far. "...is this a date, Ukai-san?"

"Did you want this to be a date, [Y/N]-chan?" 


	5. 五

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such the long wait! I hope you enjoy part 5 <3

Walking home from the izakaya was definitely a different experience for [Y/N], who was a tad bit more sober than the man beside him, arm slumped on [Y/N]'s shoulder for balance, hiccuping every few moments. To the less intoxicated man, Ukai was definitely different and opposite of his normal, grouchy self when he was drunk. He was cute.

"Hey [Y/N]-channn~," slurred Ukai, almost tripping on the cold concrete pathway the two were walking on. "We're by your place, right?" Thankfully [Y/N] was there to slightly catch the drunkard. But, the last part of his sentence caught him off guard.

It was true that [Y/N]'s place was closer than Sakanoshita Market, but [Y/N] never actually had anyone over to his apartment yet since he moved in. Thinking about it just gave him more anxiety. Did he clean his bed and kitchen? Was there any food just in case the big man got hungry? _Did he leave the stove on?_

"Uhh, yeah. Are you sure that you just don't want to walk a bit further to your hou-"

"Nonsense, your place is closer and I'm getting pretty tired. We can just nap there," he interrupts, looking at you and giving you a quick smile and a wink. _A wink_. "if that's fine with you, of course."

_What the_ ** _hell_** _does he mean by nap?!_ [Y/N] panicks, the alcohol causing any normal thoughts to turn out more dirty than if he was sober.

It was a silent trip back through town, with the occasional grumble and hiccup from both men, more so from Blondie, who was on the brink of being absolutely smashed. Although he knew he was going to have a big headache, [Y/N] was really glad he had a night out like this. Spending time with someone else, where the both of them are just excited to be in each other's presence. It was honestly something both of them envied to have. Ukai's constant work left no time for serious friendships, and [Y/N] was often busy with school to try and party with any classmates when he was in college.

Both men were hoping that this wouldn't be a one time thing. The break from the same old schedule excited Ukai, who's thoughts about spending some more time with his new partner both during volleyball practice and outside of it put a slight smile on his face, which definitely complimented the pink tint glistening his whole face.

[Y/N] was lost in thought as well. So many new things were happening at once, from work to extracurricular activities, and now an overbearing friend (at least while intoxicated) who he had mixed feelings with. As both of them stumbled their way to the entrance of [Y/N]'s apartment complex, the younger man looked at Ukai, whose eyes were slightly shut and mouth agape, probably from tiredness. That definitely gave him a smile.

It was a long day, for sure. Along with dealing with the pesky duo located in his classroom (the amount of times he heard 'boke' grumbled throughout the period was astronomical), the time spent with Ukai was definitely different this time around than the other times.

_"Did you want this to be a date, [Y/N]-chan?"_

[Y/N] let out a slight flinch, gone unnoticed by Blondie in the back, slowly dredging up the stairs and only thinking about sleeping. The light pink blush darkened to a slight red, [Y/N] not even daring to look back.

_It was such a blessing yet a curse at the same time that the server came in before he could've gotten any closer._ [Y/N] sweated, clumsily pulling out the keys in his pocket, jangling before he found the right one. _Although, I would've really liked to see what would have happened._

Silently opening the door for the two, [Y/N] opened the door and turned on the light switch, revealing the small yet comfy apartment he's been staying in. Ukai's eyes brightened up (literally) as he tripped his way into the complex, mumbling a quick "sorry" as he awkwardly made his way into the building.

"...Sorry it's quite small, my budget before starting my new job wasn't exactly the best so I chose something smaller." [Y/N] apologizes, hand on head and looking down from Ukai, still afraid to stare at him directly.

"No," Ukai chuckled, walking past him and patting his back briefly. "It's a cute place. Don't worry about it." He then groaned as he slightly jumped onto [Y/N]'s bed, tired from the night of laughter and eventual headaches in the morning.

_Oh right, I only have one bed_. [Y/N] internally panicked. _God, I'm actually such a dumbass for agreeing to do this on the spot..._

"...Hey, Ukai-san?" [Y/N] started, Ukai's head popping up from the blankets that he had already strewn across his body. Again, a very cute sight. "C-Could you throw me a pillow and a small blanket, please?"

"What for?" he pestered, eyebrows slightly raised as he saw [Y/N] pointing to the ground stiffly, getting the hint that he was planning to sleep on the ground.

"..."

"...Aren't you going to sleep in your bed?"

_"_ You're kind of **in my bed** , Ukai-san." It's not that [Y/N] didn't want to pounce into a bed with an attractive man, but he was just worried that he could overstep boundaries. Maybe he was reading Ukai wrong and he was just laying there temporarily til they switched. Possibly Ukai was fine with him being there, but why would someone as manly and grumpy as him want [Y/N] out of all people to sleep with him?

"[Y/N]-chan..." Ukai pesters, breaking [Y/N] out of his train of thought, their eyes meeting together at opposite sides of the room. Ukai raises his fingers, motioning [Y/N] to come to him, eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not going to make you sleep on the floor of your own place. What kind of friend would I be to do that?"

[Y/N] cautiously walks his way over to him, hesitantly speaking. "I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable or anything, Ukai-san... N-not that you are uncomfortable or anything! I'm **totally** fine sleeping on the gr-"

"Gotcha!"

Out of nowhere, Ukai grabbed his assistant's arm and yanked him onto the bed, his body landing closely on the other side of the blonde. [Y/N] let out a yelp and gave a big glare to Ukai, more out of embarrassment than anger. Ukai could totally tell that his face was red, to which he let out a hearty laugh while [Y/N] was getting himself together.

"Y-you could have killed me, boke!" [Y/N] whined, covering his face with a pillow while shakily adjusting himself to give him a clear amount of space between the two on his bed. Ukai smiled at [Y/N], his shyness giving Ukai comfort and a reassurance that [Y/N] was fine with him here. Believe it or not, even Ukai had his doubts.

"Ahh, lighten up." Ukai chuckled, pulling down the pillow and giving [Y/N] a reassuring and warm smile. "You've been so tense tonight, just relax. It's me, your friend." he continues, to which [Y/N] gives him a slight nod of the head. Ukai moves back and lays on his side of the bed, eyes wandering to the ceiling of his friends apartment.

_Would it be too much to ask him to cuddle?_ Ukai thought, shaking his head in disagreement while exhaling a deep breath. Of course there were platonic cuddles, everyone knew that. Ukai just didn't know if this would last as a platonic cuddle. Even if he did want to, it would probably be in best interest if he just pushed that thought away for now. He already is in a bed with another dude less than a foot away from him. Why would he want to push his limits?

He thought that until he felt two arms wrap around him.

Ukai snapped his head over to see [Y/N]'s face molten red, not daring to look him in the eye. Ukai gulped and slightly froze, eyes wide open as he wasn't expecting this to happen in a million years. _Looks like he didn't need to push anything_. After a few seconds, he carefully put his right hand on [Y/N]'s head, slightly ruffling his hair, causing the other guy to bury his head deeper into the mattress, obviously flustered to the max.

"Getting brave, aren't we now, [Y/N]-chan?" whispered Ukai, slightly leaning his lips down to [Y/N]'s ears. Ukai's heart was beating almost out of his chest, playing a facade of being intimidating and smooth, when in reality, he was one step away from acting like the man aside him.

"I thought you needed a hug," stammered [Y/N], barely letting out more than a croak while giving his explanations. He didn't know if Ukai was the biggest on physical touch, so the hug was a bet that he surprisingly decided to test. To be completely honest, [Y/N] knew that 'needing a hug' wasn't the only reason why he made the first move. It might have been the alcohol affecting him as well.

Giving a hug to Ukai was also a way for [Y/N] to say thank you. Ever since he met Ukai on that rainy night, [Y/N] has kept his mind of the demons that haunted him prior. He was so grateful for that.

Ukai hummed while hearing his brief explanation, tapping on [Y/N] to signal him to move over on his side. Once Ukai settled into the warm and soft blankets, he approached [Y/N] from behind and threw his arms over the younger boy's waist. The addition to Ukai wanting to cuddle made [Y/N]'s heart melt, and legs shake from the excitement and unprecedented actions that were happening at the moment. Ukai took his toned arms and slightly brought [Y/N] closer, Ukai burying his face into the opening where his neck was.

"Good night, [Y/N]-chan."

"Good night, Blondie."

_Let's just say that_ [Y/N] _never got to answer Ukai's question earlier, but he definitely wanted tonight to be a date. Ukai thought the same._


End file.
